Читать книгу A Mother’s Sacrifice - Kitty Neale - Страница 11

The Indian summer had been short lived and it was beginning to rain quite heavily, which made Frank further doubt that Glenda would turn up to see him. At least he had suggested a place to meet where he could shelter from the downpour. He patiently waited under the bandstand for her.

He had swapped some shifts around at the hospital, which enabled him to be in the park on a Friday morning, but it meant he would have to work tomorrow and he detested working over the weekend. But Glenda Jenkins was worth it. He wouldn’t have minded waiting all day for her or getting soaked through to the skin. It would be nice to spend some time with her outside the hospital, but, more importantly, he wanted to know that she was well and safe. Leaving the note in Glenda’s bag had been a risk, more so for Glenda than for himself, and he just hoped that Harry hadn’t found it and attacked her again. The thought of that man laying a hand on Glenda turned his stomach. But as worries for her safety began to stab at his mind, he spotted a woman running towards the bandstand, pushing a navy-blue pram. Even from this distance, Frank could tell it was Glenda. The closer she got, the more the butterflies in his stomach fluttered – for, though he had hoped, he hadn’t really believed she would risk secretly meeting him.

Frank removed his oversized long grey mac, ran towards Glenda and held the garment over her head in a bid to protect her from the torrential rain. Between them, they quickly lifted the pram up the steps of the bandstand and once sheltered they both spoke at once.

‘You first,’ said Glenda with a smile.

Frank noticed the swelling around her eye had almost disappeared and she looked even more beautiful than he’d remembered. She wore a scarf around her head, but her marcel waves were wet at the back, making her look windswept and interesting.

‘Hello, Glenda,’ Frank said, laughing. ‘I didn’t think you’d come, especially in this weather.’

‘I can’t stop for long,’ Glenda said, shaking the rainwater from her black woollen coat. ‘Harry likes to have an account of what I’ve been doing and I don’t think he’d believe that I was out for a walk in Battersea Park in this weather.’

‘Not to worry. I’m just glad you’re here now, if only for a little while. How have you been keeping?’

‘Not bad, thanks, Frank. It’s nice to be back at home with Johnnie, and Harry is actually making an effort, though I don’t know how long it will last. Still, I’m thankful for small mercies.’

‘I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Johnnie yet. Do you mind if I stick my ugly bonce in his pram and say hello?’

Glenda laughed. ‘Of course you can,’ she said, ‘but don’t expect much conversation. He’s out for the count.’

‘It’s a good job he can’t talk. We wouldn’t want him telling tales on us to his daddy now, would we?’

‘Oh, Frank. Please, don’t even joke about it! Harry would kill me if he knew I was here and probably you too! I couldn’t believe it when I found that note in my bag! What were you thinking, Frank Myers?’

‘I was thinking about you, Glenda. You’re pretty much all I think about these days.’

‘You mustn’t talk like that, Frank. I’m a married woman and it isn’t right.’

‘And it isn’t right that your old man knocks you from here to kingdom come!’

‘I know, sorry, Frank. But can we please not talk about him any more?’

‘Yeah, good idea. Least said about him the better. Look, I’ve brought some cheese sandwiches, though I’m afraid there’s only a smidgeon of cheese in them, and a bottle of lemonade. I know it ain’t much, but I thought it would be nice to have a bit of a picnic. It’s a shame about the rain, though.’

Glenda smiled, a smile so warm that Frank immediately forgot about his cold hands. He laid his mac on the concrete floor for Glenda to sit on and shared out the sandwiches, which they eagerly ate.

‘Frank, I don’t care about the weather, and I’ve got to say, nobody has ever done anything like this for me before. It’s so lovely. Thank you.’ She leaned over to tenderly kiss Frank on the cheek.

Frank knew he had turned red but he didn’t care. Everything felt so relaxed and carefree with Glenda and for a moment he was tempted to return her kiss, only this time passionately on her lips. Instead, he took her hand and said, ‘I’m enjoying this. It’s been great spending time with you and I hope you’ll agree to see me again.’

‘I shouldn’t, Frank. You know this is dangerous, but even so I would like to, very much. I know we’re only friends, but if we meet up we’ll still have to be careful and discreet.’

From there in the small, elegantly designed bandstand, Frank could have sung out across Battersea Park. Glenda hadn’t said so out loud, but he could tell she liked him. If he could just persuade her to leave her brutish husband, then life would be pretty damned good …

The rain had almost stopped as Glenda walked back through the park on her way home. A small glimmer of sunlight was breaking through the clouds and a large rainbow arched across the sky. For a short while she felt as if she was walking on air through a paradise.

What a wonderful couple of hours, she thought, picturing Frank’s kind smile and remembering his cheery voice. It was wrong, she knew it was, yet even so Glenda couldn’t wait to see him again. We’re just friends, she told herself as if to ease her guilty conscience, while smiling like a village idiot as she recalled the kiss she had planted on his cheek.

It had been a bold move to go and meet Frank and several times she had nearly backed out. She was glad that she hadn’t. Spending time with Frank was like a breath of fresh air. He was so easy to talk to, unlike her husband, whom she tiptoed around as if walking on eggshells. It was very different with Frank and she found it refreshing to be herself – the happy and carefree woman she had been before Harry had destroyed her.

She passed through the wrought-iron black gates of the park but the closer she got to home, the more her heart sank and paranoid fears of Harry knowing who she had been with began to set in. Don’t be daft, she told herself. No one could have seen her; it had been tipping it down, so it was unlikely that anyone she knew would have been out in the park. Even if they had spotted her, she was absolutely entitled to take her child for a walk, wasn’t she? But could she really use Johnnie as a cover for her secret tryst? Yes, she thought to herself, she could – she had no other option if she was to see Frank again. They had arranged to meet the following week, which seemed like such a long time to wait, but in the meantime at least she could hold on to the memory of one of the best days of her life.

As Glenda turned a corner she sneaked a glance behind her, knowing that Frank wouldn’t be too far behind, on his way home to the prefab down Sheepcote Lane that he shared with his mum and his brother. His brother, Billy Myers! Glenda hadn’t mentioned that she knew Billy when Frank had talked about how lucky they were to be alive after a doodlebug bomb had flattened their house during the war. His father hadn’t survived but Frank hadn’t sounded too bothered by that. It seemed there was no love lost between them. She hadn’t wanted Frank to know that it was partly because of his brother she had ended up in hospital. The whole time she had shared with Frank had been so magical; she didn’t want to spoil it by bringing up horrible things about Harry.

When Glenda thought of Harry her stomach knotted again and, though there was still a bitter chill in the wind, small beads of nervous sweat broke out on her forehead. Harry wasn’t due home from work for a few hours, but she just couldn’t face going home yet. She wanted the feeling of euphoria never to end, so instead she decided to pop in to see Helen. As her parents lived next door to Helen, she could visit them too, but though her bruises had faded she wouldn’t be able to hide her missing teeth and broken nose from her father.

Mrs Merton lived a few doors up from Helen’s house and sold homemade toffee apples. Glenda decided to purchase one for her mother as a little treat. She tapped three times on Mrs Merton’s front window, the signal for her to come and sell her apples. They were very popular with the locals and though everyone knew that Mrs Merton must have managed to acquire extra sugar on the black market, nobody minded as she sold her wares at a fair price and they were a rare treat for those who could spare the tuppence.

Glenda thanked Mrs Merton, tucked her toffee apple away in her handbag and first visited her best friend. She knocked on Helen’s door, smiling as she desperately tried to force Frank from her mind.

Helen seemed genuinely pleased and surprised to find Glenda standing on her doorstep.

‘Glenda!’ she exclaimed. ‘I wasn’t expecting to see you today. Come in out of the cold, love.’

‘Thanks, Helen. I was just taking Johnnie for a stroll – a bit of fresh air is good for him. Not that the air round here is all that fresh. That blinking stench from Garton’s glucose factory and the fumes from the brewery … I swear it’s getting worse!’

‘I know, and so many people complain about it,’ said Helen as she helped Glenda in through the door with the pram. ‘I’m sure there’s sticky stuff on my windows from that factory. Come through to the kitchen, Dad is in his bed in the front room and Mum is upstairs having a nap.’

Glenda sat at the table in the cramped kitchen and stretched her neck to look out of the back door at the apple tree Helen had planted during the war, which sadly still wasn’t producing any fruit.

‘Sorry about the state of the tea,’ said Helen, ‘these leaves must have been brewed four times over and we haven’t got any sugar. This rationing is getting really tiresome now. I queued for over two hours yesterday afternoon just for a loaf of bread. It wouldn’t be so bad, but you know it’s hard for me to leave Mum and Dad by themselves.’

‘You should have said. I could have got you a loaf when I got mine,’ Glenda offered. ‘Talking of parents, I want to pop round to see mine, but does my face look all right?’

‘There’s still a faint bruise, but a bit more foundation and powder should cover it up. I’m afraid there’s not much else we can do about your wonky nose or gappy grin,’ Helen said lightheartedly, continuing to look at her. She paused. ‘There’s something else. You look different, Glenda. I can’t put my finger on it but there’s definitely something. You ain’t pregnant again, are you?’

‘No, don’t be daft,’ Glenda said, laughing. She could feel her cheeks begin to flush as she thought of Frank, and her friend quizzed her further.

‘So what is it, Glenda Jenkins? And don’t you go saying nothing ’cos I know there’s something! You can’t keep secrets from me, you know. I’ve been your best mate all your life and I know when you’re up to something. Look at you, smiling like the cat that’s got the cream.’

‘Oh, Helen,’ Glenda gushed, ‘you know me too well. You’re right, I can’t keep things from you, but if I tell you, you have to promise to keep it a secret.’

‘Of course I will, Glenda, you know that!’

‘Well,’ Glenda paused, ‘it’s this bloke I met called Frank …’

Ted was pleasantly surprised to find his only daughter standing in the front-room doorway, gently rocking his first grandson on her hip.

‘Glenda,’ he fussed, rushing over to take Johnnie from her arms, ‘leave the pram there, it’ll be fine. How lovely to see you, my gal. It’s been weeks. Come in, come in and sit yourself down. Look, Elsie, look who’s come to visit. It’s our Glenda and don’t she look a sight for sore eyes!’

Elsie raised a bit of a smile, but soon closed her eyes again as she drifted off to sleep on the small couch in the corner of the room.

‘Your mother’s a bit tired, love. It’s this weather. It’s turned cold again and it keeps her up at night when the wind blows down the chimney.’

‘The sun’s come out now and I’ve got her a little pressie from old Mrs Merton. Here you are.’ Glenda handed the toffee apple to Ted.

Such a thoughtful girl, he thought, but as a ray of sun shone through the window and illuminated her face, Ted caught sight of Glenda’s bruised eye. He could tell she’d tried to cover it with make-up and, as he studied her more closely, he noticed her nose looked misshapen too. He inwardly seethed, instantly knowing that her thug of a husband had been bashing her again. He wanted to question her about it but knew from experience that his daughter would always lie to cover for Harry, and he hated it when she did that. He took a deep breath and tried to carry on as normal.

‘And how have you both been? We ain’t seen you in a while.’

‘Yes, I know, Dad, and I’m sorry. It’s just that Johnnie’s been teething and I’ve been busy. You know how it is.’

Oh, yes, thought Ted, he knew exactly how it was. More like she’s been too injured and ashamed to show us her face. Though he expected to get the same old fairy story, Ted found he couldn’t help but have it out with her.

‘Look, love,’ he began, ‘we’ve been through this before and I don’t expect you’ll tell me anything different from last time, but if that old man of yours has been hitting you again, you don’t have to stay with him. You’ll always have a roof over your head here, and Johnnie too.’

Ted held his breath and stared intently at his beloved daughter. She had come late to them, when Elsie had been over forty. He himself was now nearly sixty-two years old, with gnarled hands from arthritis, but if he had been a younger and fitter man he would have marched straight round to Harry Jenkins and punched him on the nose.

‘I know you’ll always take me in, Dad, and thanks. I ain’t gonna lie to you again, so yes, Harry has been hitting me, pretty badly this time. But how can I leave him? He knows this is the first place I’d run to and he’d soon come round here to kick up a stink. He’d drag me back home and I’d suffer for daring to walk out on him. Not only that, I couldn’t divorce him. Oh, Dad, just think of it, the shame. Women round these parts don’t leave their husbands. It’s unheard of!’

Ted’s heart nearly crumbled as he saw the anguish in Glenda’s eyes. For her to finally admit that Harry had been hitting her … he must have really hurt her badly this time.

‘Sod what other people think. I couldn’t give a damn about all the gossips. If you want a divorce, my gal, then you bloody well get one! You’ve always been too good for the likes of that Jenkins lot. Rough they are, the whole lot of ’em. And I’ll tell you something else – there wouldn’t be a single person in these streets who would blame you for leaving that man. He’s got no right to hit you! Gawd rest his soul, if your brother was still here, I’d send him round there right now. See how brave that Harry is if a real man stood in front of him.’

Ted could feel the pain again like a stab to the heart when he thought of his son Philip, who had been killed in action during the D-Day landings. He’d been eight years older than Glenda and twice as big a man as that Harry Jenkins. He would have gone mad at the knowledge of anyone beating up his little sister and would have sorted the bully out.

‘I know what you’re saying, Dad, but that still doesn’t help if Harry comes round here to get me. What about Mum? You know how easily she gets upset. All the commotion would be too much for her.’

Ted noticed the tender look in Glenda’s eyes as she glanced over at her mother who was lying peacefully on the sofa, quietly snoring with her mouth slightly agape. He was thankful that Elsie seemed oblivious to the conversation between him and Glenda. It would have broken the woman’s heart had she known that their daughter was being beaten by Harry.

‘I’ll worry about your mother. You just go home now, get whatever stuff you need for you and the boy, then get yourself back round here sharpish. I’ll have your room ready and we’ll deal with whatever happens. If push comes to shove, I’ll call the Old Bill. Not only that, my mate Mick has a boy at Battersea Park station and I can have a word with him.’

‘Dad, you know the police aren’t interested in husband-and-wife stuff. They wouldn’t get involved even if Harry came round here to drag me home. They’d probably be on his side and tell me to go back to my husband where I belong. No, it’s best I just get on with things. I made my bed so I’ll have to lie in it. Anyhow, little Johnnie here needs his dad. I couldn’t take him away from his father.’

Ted bounced his grandson on his knee, his heart melting as the baby gave him a toothless grin. ‘Oh, Glenda. I wish there was something I could do. Maybe if I have a quiet word in Harry’s ear he might listen?’

‘I know you mean well, Dad, but please don’t. It’ll only make things worse. Harry doesn’t like me talking about our married life so it’s best if we keep this little chat between ourselves.’

Ted sighed. ‘All right, my gal, you’re a grown woman, so it’s your choice at the end of the day. I ain’t happy about it, though, so if you change your mind don’t you hesitate to get yourself home here.’

Ted tickled Johnnie’s tummy, making the child coo in delight, and as Glenda watched the two of them play, Ted could see there was something else behind the little smile that kept breaking out on his daughter’s face. The woman had been abused and battered, so why was she looking so happy?

‘Anything else been going on in the world of Glenda Jenkins?’ Ted teased. ‘Only you look like Churchill did on VE Day!’

‘Course not, Dad, just the usual stuff. I called in on Helen next door before I came round here. Seems her mum is getting more and more forgetful. She was asleep upstairs, but when she woke up and came down, she called me Elsie! Helen tried to tell her I was Elsie’s daughter but she wouldn’t have it. She even tried to drag me out while going on about the “protest” and how we would be able to vote soon. She started getting quite excited and poor Helen had a job calming her down!’

Ted chuckled and sat back in his chair, remembering the feisty little thing Elsie had been years earlier when they had first met. ‘Cor, that takes me back.’ He smiled at Glenda. ‘Your mother and her next door were a formidable twosome in their day. They kicked up quite a stink round here, banging on about the right of the ordinary woman to vote. Must have been about twenty-odd years ago when they finally won and huh, the jollies them two had that night. Course you won’t remember, you was just a nipper then yourself, not much older than Johnnie boy now.’

‘What? Mum was a Suffragette?’

‘Well, not as such, but she had a right gob on her and stood up for what she believed to be right. She went on quite a few marches and protests up in London town, swinging her banner and shouting her mouth off. Blimey, the temper on her too. I used to call her “Frowny Crowny” on account of her name being Elsie Crown.’

‘I never knew Mum was like that! She’s always been so … so quiet.’

‘She changed when you were born, but she was one helluva woman when we first met.’ Ted looked across to his wife. He would never cry in front of his daughter, but his eyes glistened. It had been love at first sight when he’d met Elsie and she had proved to be the love of his life.

‘I remember the first time I saw her. She was coming out of a big house over Chelsea way. She was in service there, see. Anyhow, right haughty she looked, nose in the air, marching down the Embankment in her shiny black boots, ankle-length dress with a nipped-in waist, pretty as a picture she was, just like you now. I remember catching sight of her and thinking how I wished I was brave enough to make her acquaintance.’

‘Well, you must have managed it,’ Glenda pointed out, smiling.

‘Yeah, well, as luck would ’ave it for me, this old horse and cart went rushing past her, almost galloping it was. It nearly knocked her off her feet and as it sped through a dirty old puddle, a big splash of mucky water went all over your mother’s dress. Cor blimey, she shouted out some obscenities, words I had never heard a woman use before, but it did make me laugh! Course, she caught me laughing, didn’t she, and that was that, she turned her anger to me then. I did my best to calm her and eventually she let me introduce meself. Funny little thing she was, and when she told me her name was Elsie Crown, she added, “Crown, like what the Queen wears.” It still tickles me all these years later.’

Ted stood up and placed Johnnie back in his pram then walked over to his wife and gently pulled a blanket over her legs.

‘Oh, Dad, that’s a lovely story,’ Glenda said as she rose to her feet. ‘I know the sun’s shining, but it’s a bit nippy for Mum in here. I’ll go out to the shed and bring some coal in. You could do with lighting that fire.’

‘No point, love,’ said Ted glumly, ‘you won’t find no coal in the shed.’

‘I know there’s shortages, Dad, but the coal cart was round the streets last week. Didn’t you get any?’

Ted was a proud man, but after Glenda’s openness earlier he felt she deserved the same honesty in return. ‘He would have stopped if I could have paid him. Thing is, love, I’m a bit strapped at the moment. Your mother needed some tonics from the doctor and he ain’t cheap, but not to worry. There’s an old railway sleeper out in the back yard. I’ll chop that up and use it but I’m waiting ’til it gets a bit colder yet. And if need be, Philip’s old wardrobe is sitting empty now so that’ll make a good bit of firewood.’

‘Oh, Dad, why didn’t you say?’

‘And what would be the point of that, eh? I won’t take no handouts from my own daughter! Don’t worry, love, we’ve been through tougher times than this. Us Webbers are made of stern stuff, ya know!’

‘I’m not.’

‘Of course you are. You’ve just had a bit of your courage knocked out of you, but one day, like a worm, you’ll turn. I know you will.’ It was then that Ted noticed a silly smile again on Glenda’s face and a bit of a twinkle in her eye. ‘You still haven’t told me what’s making them cheeks of yours nice and rosy, and don’t tell me it’s the wind!’

Glenda blushed again and went over to the window to look out onto the street, moving from one foot to the other and obviously excited about something. It was nice to see her looking so happy, thought Ted, but he knew it was not of Harry’s doing.

‘It’s nothing really, Dad. I’ve just got a new friend, that’s all.’

‘Oh,’ said Ted, raising his chin in the air, ‘and this new friend, does he have a name?’

Glenda spun round to look at her dad, her expression one of shock, but she nodded. ‘Yes, his name is Frank. He’s such a nice bloke, Dad, a proper gentleman. Of course Harry mustn’t find out, but we’re only friends. It’s just nice to have someone to talk to who is kind and caring. I dunno, maybe I’m being silly, but I just like spending time with him, that’s all.’

Ted nodded his head. He recognised that look when his daughter spoke of Frank. It was the same way Elsie used to look when they had first gotten together. Glenda never had that look when she talked about Harry. Oh, well, if this Frank made his daughter happy, who was he to question it? The girl deserved at least a small bit of joy so good luck to her. He only hoped that awful Harry never found out …